Murder of David Black

Murder of David Black
Part of Dissident Irish Republican campaign
Location	M1 motorway, County Armagh, Northern Ireland
Date	1 November 2012 7:30 am
Target	David Black
Attack type	Shooting
Deaths	1
Perpetrators	New IRA

Prison Officer and Orange Order member ^{[1] [2]} David Black was killed on 1 November 2012 by members of the New IRA. ^[3] The group claimed the killing 11 days later. ^[4] He was the first prison officer to be killed by dissident Irish republicans since the Good Friday Agreement. ^[5]

Attack

Black was driving to work in Maghaberry Prison when he was shot by members of the New IRA at 7:30 am. He was on the motorway between Portadown and Lurgan, when a car with Dublin registration plates drove up beside him and fired shots at him, and he veered into a ditch. ^[6]

Reaction

• Prime Minister of the United Kingdom David Cameron: "First and foremost this is a dreadful tragedy for the family and friends of David Black who has been so brutally murdered as he went about his work keeping the people of Northern Ireland safe. My heart goes out to them."
• PSNI Chief Constable Matt Baggott: "It is a completely senseless attack which demonstrates the ruthlessness and recklessness of those opposed to peace and who live for violence."
• Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore: "I know that I speak for every decent man, woman and child on this island, north and south, in expressing revulsion at this act. There will be no return to the dark and violent days of the past. The tragic loss of life that we have seen this morning serves only to bring us together in a shared grief and a shared determination to work together in building a better future for all." ^[7]

Aftermath

The trial of a man charged with aiding and abetting Black's murder collapsed in 2018. ^[8]

In November 2022, on the tenth anniversary of the murder, Black's widow made a fresh appeal for information on her husband's killers. ^[9]

References

1. "Family of shot prison officer David Black 'devastated'". BBC News. 1 November 2012. Retrieved 4 September 2023.
2. McDonald, Henry; correspondent, Ireland (1 November 2012). "Murdered Northern Ireland prison officer was Orange Order member". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 4 September 2023.{{cite news}}: |last2= has generic name (help)
3. "Case of man accused of IRA membership adjourned". Independent.ie. 10 July 2017.
4. "Prison Officer Murder: 'IRA' Group Claims Attack". Sky News. Retrieved 4 September 2023.
5. "Prison officer killed in Northern Ireland motorway shooting". 1 November 2012. Archived from the original on 6 November 2012.
6. Vincent Kearney (November 2012). "Family of shot prison officer David Black 'devastated' - BBC News". BBC News. Retrieved 7 May 2020.
7. "Reaction to prison officer's murder". BBC News. 1 November 2012.
8. "David Black killing: Trial collapses". BBC News. 21 June 2018.
9. "David Black murder: Widow makes new appeal on 10th anniversary". BBC News. November 2022.